crappie jigs

[grumps]

I have a bunch of crappie jigs that are drying out and sticking together making them useless.  When you try to seperate them they will tear up.  Anybody know what kind of oil to use to lube these babies.  I used to make my own plastic worms and lubed them with oil of anise but I can't find it anymore.  A fellow crappie lunatic said to use baby oil or mineral oil, but the only mineral oil I can find is a laxative mineral oil at WalMart, but they do have lots of baby oil but it doesn't smell like something to fish with.  Reckon the laxative oil would work, is it the same as any other mineral oil.  Beats me, Help!

[Graybeard]

I'd first try the stuff they sell to spray on lures as an attractant. It's kinda oily and is at least intended as an attraction not something to scare them off. Mostly when they get that old and delapadated it's time to pull all off the metal and start over from there.

Are they rubber, hair or feather jigs?

[grumps]

soft plastic crappie jigs made out of the same stuff that bass fishing worms are made of.  I bought a lot of them in spring so they aren't really old or used.  They are just drying out and sticking together.  I called the manuf. today and she told me to send them back so she could figure out what the deal was.  I told her that I doubt if I'd send them back even if she would replace them.  Heck, I bought em, as used some of all of them, I not gonna send em back.  I just need to oil them a little bit.  Just don't know what kind of oil to use.  The spray stuff does have an oil base to them, I just don't want to smell like a crawfish or clove of garlic until I can wash my clothes since I have the habit of wiping my hands on whatever I'm wearing.

[billynwtf]

 I happen to know first hand that companys like southern pro simply use baby oil. My father has had a wholesale fishing tackle business for some twenty years and buys direct from them. Alittle goes along ways so be careful not to use too much. Lots of companys use baby oil they just dont tell the public that.

[bubbinator]

You can still find Oil of Anise in drug stores.  Maybe not in a "big Box" store like CVS or Rite Aid, but try an older, community- like store and I'll bet they have it.  I used to mix it and Mineral Oil for my worms and such.

[S.S.]

Go to the Vitamin area of the store and get some fish oil.

[bubbinator]

Duh!  What a great idea!  It is almost embarassing that this idea is not more widely known!  Thanks (Think about it, Pork Fat? Salt? Have seen many crappie at the local BBQ place lately)

[LunaticFringeInc]

The mineral oil that Wally World sells as a "laxitive" works just fine.  Its the same thing its just labeled a little different than it was back when I was a young pup.  A few drops will go a long way!!!  Wont make you smell like you just got your diaper changed, its not as obnoxious as garlic and wont make you smell like a can of sardines either!

Personally I just buy bare jig heads and keep all my soft plastic tails stored seperately.  This keeps things nice and neat and I can tailor a jig head and tail for the task at hand.  Crappie can be just as finicky and disconcerning as any Trout on the face of this earth can be.

If you want to add an attractant to your soft tails...Plano has a small container out simular to the "Gulp Alive" container.  It works very well for keeping a stash of your most common used soft plastic tails in and allows you to "marinate" them in the attractant which will usually impregnate the plastic a bit.  I store many of mine in such a container.  While I dont think it attracts fish, I do think it gets those that bite to hang on a second longer allowing me to get more hook ups and less misses.  One word of warning on attractants.  Those that have color dyes in them will also color your baits, dont ask me how I know that...its a "sensitive" subject thats still a little too fresh in my mind.